A drop ceiling, also called a suspended ceiling, offers some advantages over plain drywall ceilings, including acoustic improvement. In a basement or similar utility area, where you may need to reach pipes or overhead wires, drop ceilings allow you to conceal the pieces while still allowing you access at a later time. You don't need to be an expert to install these ceilings, but you must take careful precautions during planning and installation to ensure that the ceiling hangs straight and lasts for years to come.
Instructions
1. Measure 4 inches down from the current ceiling and make a pencil mark at that point on one of the walls. Line up a level with this mark and trace a straight line along the 4-inch mark that spans the walls in the entire room.
2. Locate the studs in the wall with a stud finder and mark their location with pencil marks, drawn over the line you drew before. This indicates where you will attach the support structure for the drop ceiling. If you are installing the ceiling in a room with masonry walls, such as concrete or brick, there will be no studs to find.
3. Attach the perimeter support molding for the drop ceiling. Set each piece so that the top of the molding piece lines up with the perimeter line you drew. Attach the molding to each stud using 6d finishing nails and a hammer. For masonry walls, attach them with masonry screws through every screw hole in the molding.
4. Line the walls with the perimeter molding until it is completely outlined with the molding. For inside corners, put one piece of molding firmly against the corner, and set the next piece butted firmly against the first.
5. Miter the edges of the perimeter molding that will meet at outside corners. Use tin snips to cut the edges of the molding pieces at a 45-degree angle so that they meet around the outside corner. Continue to cut and fasten as necessary until all perimeter molding is installed.
6. Locate the ceiling joists in the room with a stud finder and mark their location with pencil or chalk lines. You will install the main support runners for the drop ceiling running perpendicular, or at right angles, to these joists.
7. Measure the length of the ceiling from one wall to the next, running perpendicular to the ceiling joists. Divide this number by the width of the panels to determine how many panels you can fit in the room. For example, if the ceiling is 8 feet wide (96 inches) and each panel is 5 inches wide, you can fit 19 panels, with one-fifth of a panel (or 1 inch) left over.
8. Measure out from one wall the distance leftover from your calculation. In the example, measure out 1 inch from the main wall. Snap a chalk line running perpendicular to the joists to mark this as a starting point.
9. Measure 4 feet out from the starting line and mark another perpendicular line. Continue measuring and marking until you have marked all of the lines; these represent the locations of the main support runners.
10. Install eyebolts along each of the lines of the support runners. Screw an eyebolt into every third ceiling joist along the line. These will be the supports to hold up the main runners.
11. Thread 16-gauge wire through each eyebolt so that you can twist it around itself at least three times and leave at least 2 to 3 inches hanging below. If in doubt, use more wire than you think you might need; you can always trim away excess later.
12. Attach a piece of string to the bottom of the perimeter molding under each support runner line. Stretch them across the room to the other side and attach it to the bottom of the molding there. This will help you ensure that the runners are lined up with the molding.
13. Line up the first main runner piece along the runner line so that it touches the string. Thread the excess 16-gauge wire through the open holes in the runner and twist it around itself at least three times to hold the runner up. Repeat with every hold along the main runner's body until it is held firmly in place by the wire.
14. Hang runners along the designated lines. Each should be supported by the eyebolts and 16-gauge wire you hung before. When you have to join runner pieces, attach them together with the slots and tabs that are built into the end of each piece. When you reach the end of the runner, trim off any excess with tin snips. Continue until all are in place.
15. Install cross tees running perpendicular to the main runners and spaced every 2 feet apart. These pieces need no wires; instead, they snap into the main runners with slots and tabs. As you install these pieces, you will begin to make out the characteristic grid shape.
16. Attach pieces to connect the edges of the grid with the perimeter molding, cutting pieces of the cross tees to fit with tin snips. These pieces also attach together with slots and tabs. This completes the grid shape for your ceiling.
17.Slide the ceiling panels into place in each of the gaps in the grid. You will need to push the panels up at an angle to get them through the gaps, then allow them to drop straight down to be supported by the grid. Install all full pieces first.
18. Cut the panels to fit along the edges as necessary. Measure the gap you need to fill and add 3/8 inch so that the panel will be wide enough to sit on the grid's support flanges. Cut through the finished side of the panel with a sharp utility knife, using multiple shallow passes until you have cut completely through the panel. Install all cut panels as well until the ceiling is complete.
Tags: perimeter molding, main runners, running perpendicular, 16-gauge wire, drop ceiling